Latest news with #abortionrights
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fresh-faced internet star Deja Foxx is dubbed 'the next AOC' who wants to revolutionize the Dems
Social media activist Deja Foxx has been dubbed the 'next AOC' as she runs to fill a vacant Congressional seat in Arizona. The 25-year-old made her name as an abortion rights activist and built a legion of over 200,000 Instagram followers with her snazzy social media posts and advocacy work. She launched her campaign for Arizona's 7th District seat in April, which is vacant following the death of Democrat Congressman Raúl Grijalva from cancer in March aged 77. Her efforts have quickly been compared to that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, when she ran on an ultra-liberal platform to unseat longtime New York Congressman Joe Crowley in 2019. AOC was four years older at the time than Foxx is now, and rode a wave of liberal outrage at President Trump during his first term to become a prominent member of 'The Squad' in Washington DC. She is running on a similar platform to the one that got AOC elected, and has made abortion rights and criticizing the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade - which codified the right to an abortion federally - central pillars of her campaign. Foxx also named AOC and firebrand Democrat Jasmine Crockett as her inspirations in Congress, saying they 'best represent the values of the party.' However, she remains a longshot to win the Democrat primary when voters head to the polls in July. Foxx gained just five percent support in a Public Policy Polling survey compared to 49 percent for Adelita Grijalva, the daughter of the deceased congressman they are running to replace. Despite trailing heavily in the race, Foxx has said she is undaunted by the polling numbers, and hopes to replicate AOC when she overcame huge odds to defeat Crowley six years ago. She has noted that her support is made up of small donors and her average contribution is around $29, saying she is rejecting big super PAC money like AOC before her. Although she is only 25, Foxx has made her youth a key selling point, telling Newsweek that 'if everybody who told me I was too young went and told somebody that they were too old, we would be in a vastly different, political structure right now.' 'Age is a defining factor in our political system, like it or not, it just is,' she said, and pointed out that the seat she is running for 'opened up because somebody passed away while in office.' The advanced age of many lawmakers in Washington DC has been growing as an issue in recent times, with Grijalva becoming the third Democrat in Congress to die in office this year. Since 2022, eight members of Congress have passed away. Foxx first rose to prominence as an abortion rights activist in 2017 when she was just 16 years old, as footage of her confronting then-Arizona Senator Jeff Flake at a town hall went viral. She berated Flake over cuts to Planned Parenthood, and catapulted her viral fame into becoming a social media influencer, often sharing similar clips of her confronting Republicans online. Recalling her start in politics, she told Newsweek: 'I was a teenager living with my boyfriend, working at a gas station. We relied on Title X funding', referring to the federal program that supports services like Planned Parenthood. She said she often used 'Planned Parenthood centers to get the birth control that I needed to take control of my body and my future when I had no money, no parents and no insurance. 'And this is just one of those ways that policymakers often disconnected from their constituents, vote without ever thinking about the consequences for real people.' She says on her campaign website she experienced homelessness during a turbulent adolescence, but rose to become the first in her family to attend college, earning a full ride to Columbia University in New York to study political science. While at Columbia, Foxx joined Kamala Harris' first run for the presidency in 2020 and went on to lead her 2020 campaign influencer strategy. 'What it taught me is a lesson that I took in to 2024 and that I'm taking into my own special election here in 2025 as I stick my head up to lead and to run — which was what it means to be fearless,' she said. After Harris lost the 2024 election in a landslide, Foxx said she decided to run for Congress because she 'felt a deep sense of responsibility.' 'It wasn't enough for me to just work the behind the scenes of campaigns or in front of the cameras," she said, adding 'I needed to give them someone they could get excited about, or we would stand to lose our generation.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Maine Dems launch website targeting Collins over abortion ahead of Dobbs anniversary
The Maine Democratic Party has launched a website targeting Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) for votes she they say have caused a significant rollback in abortion rights. The release of the website, shared exclusively with The Hill, comes ahead of the third anniversary of the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned its longstanding precedent of Roe v. Wade. The ruling allowed states to make their own decisions on abortion access and has led to more than a dozen states moving to restrict access to the procedure. A video released along with the website blames Collins for her votes to confirm Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, who were part of the five-justice majority that overturned Roe. The video starts and ends with a recording of Collins announcing on the Senate floor that she would vote to confirm Kavanaugh. 'The overturning of Roe vs Wade falls squarely on Susan Collins' shoulders. Mainers recognize and remember how Collins' 'no regrets' decisive vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court — despite clear warnings of the threat he posed to Roe — led to bans on reproductive freedom nationwide, and it will cost her in 2026 when voters reject her,' said state Democratic Party spokesperson Tommy Garcia. Collins's vote on Kavanaugh in particular received significant attention as his nomination was ultimately approved in a 50-48 vote. In her message announcing her decision to vote for Kavanaugh, she expressed her belief that he wouldn't be likely to vote in favor of overturning Roe. After the court overturned Roe, Collins said the decision was 'inconsistent' with what Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said during their testimonies and in their meetings wither her. 'It's deja vu all over again—these are the same tired, rehashed attacks voters already rejected in 2020 when they re-elected Senator Collins by 9 points. Mainers didn't buy it then, and they won't buy it now,' said Collins campaign spokesperson Shawn Roderick in a statement. 'While these groups plan to spend the next eighteen months litigating the 2020 election and launching false attacks, Senator Collins continues to show up and work hard for the people of Maine. The contrast could not be more clear.' The website also notes Collins's vote against advancing the Women's Health Protection Act, which would have codified Roe into law, in 2022. The Maine Republican argued at the time that the legislation would have violated the rights of individuals and organizations who have religious objections to performing abortions and exceeded what Roe protected, striking down laws prohibiting sex-based abortions and requiring parental notification for minors seeking abortions. Collins instead pointed to the legislation she introduced, called the Reproductive Choice Act, which would restore the rights of Roe. The website also attacks Collins over votes she's taken in favor of federal judges who ultimately upheld abortion restrictions in certain states, including Stuart Kyle Duncan in Texas and Kenneth Lee from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Collins will be a top target for Democrats seeking to make gains in the Senate in 2026 after losing a few seats last year, falling to a 53-47 minority. The longtime senator, representing a state that voted for former Vice President Harris in 2024, has long been a target and was viewed as particularly vulnerable in 2020 but has repeatedly held on. She won her last election by more than 8 points. Still, this would be the first time Collins is seeking reelection following the court's overturning of Roe, giving Democrats hope that abortion rights can be a rallying point as it was in the 2022 midterms. A high-profile Democrat has yet to enter the race, but some in the state believe Gov. Janet Mills (D) may be the strongest choice if she decides to run. This story was updated at 12:50 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wall Street Journal
5 days ago
- Health
- Wall Street Journal
Abortions Accessed Through Telemedicine Are Growing Despite Legal Challenges
The number of abortions in the U.S. accessed through telemedicine is growing. So are the challenges to this mechanism that has allowed patients in states with near-total abortion bans to acquire the abortion pill. Abortions are on the rise in the U.S. despite more than a dozen states enforcing near-total bans on the procedure, according to a report released Monday by #WeCount, an abortion-data project sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion rights. There were more than 1.14 million abortions in the U.S. in 2024 compared with around 1.06 million in 2023, the report said.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Republican representative's ectopic pregnancy clashes with Florida abortion law
A Florida Republican congresswoman is blaming fearmongering on the left for the reluctance of hospital staff to give her the drugs she needed to end an ectopic pregnancy that threatened her life. Kat Cammack went to the emergency room in May 2024 where it was estimated she was five weeks into an ectopic pregnancy, there was no heartbeat and her life was at risk. Doctors determined she needed a shot of methotrexate to help expel her pregnancy but since Florida's six week abortion ban had just taken effect medical staff were worried about losing their licenses or going to jail if they did. Cammack looked up the state law on her phone to show staff and even attempted to contact the governor's office. Hours later, doctors eventually agreed to give her the medication. But Cammack, who opposes abortion and co-chairs the House pro-life caucus, told the Wall Street Journal she blames messaging from pro-abortion groups for delaying her treatment, which is not banned under Florida's restrictive statutes, who have created fear of criminal charges. Over a year later and once again pregnant and due to give birth soon, Cammack says the politics of the incident have stuck with her. 'It was absolute fearmongering at its worst,' Cammack told the publication, but acknowledged that abortion rights groups might interpret her experience differently and blame Republican-led, restrictive anti-abortion laws for the issue. 'There will be some comments like, 'Well, thank God we have abortion services,' even though what I went through wasn't an abortion,' she told the outlet. Florida's strict abortion ban, which took effect on 1 May 2024, makes abortions illegal after six weeks, when most people aren't even aware yet that they are pregnant. After months in which medical staff were concerned that the law's wording made emergency procedures illegal, the state's healthcare agency issued official guidance to 'address misinformation' on permitting an abortion in instances where the pregnant person's life and health are in danger. Cammack said she hoped that going public with her experience would help opposing political groups find common ground. 'I would stand with any woman – Republican or Democrat – and fight for them to be able to get care in a situation where they are experiencing a miscarriage and an ectopic' pregnancy, she said. Abortion rights activists say the law created problems. Florida regulators say ectopic pregnancies aren't abortions and are exempt from restrictions, but Molly Duane, with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the Wall Street Journal the law doesn't define ectopic pregnancy, which can be difficult to diagnose. Alison Haddock, the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, told the outlet care in early pregnancy is a 'medically complicated space' and that doctors in abortion-restricted states worry 'whether their clinical judgment will stand should there be any prosecution'.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump picks federal judge three years after failed nomination
President Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship in Kentucky, a move that could reignite a contentious battle with Senator Rand Paul, who previously opposed the appointment. Meredith, a former state solicitor general, was at the centre of a judicial nominations controversy during the Biden administration. Then-President Joe Biden had reportedly agreed to nominate Meredith, who was enthusiastically supported by Senator Mitch McConnell. The prospect was met with significant concern, given Meredith's track record of defending Kentucky's anti-abortion laws, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that eliminated the constitutional right to abortion. However, Senator Paul signalled to the Biden White House that he would block Meredith's confirmation proceedings, leading the then-President to never formally put forward his name. Biden's decision to withdraw from the nomination was a relief to Democrats and abortion rights groups, who had expressed outrage at the idea of an anti-abortion lawyer securing a lifetime judiciary seat. Mr. Trump's renewed push for Meredith sets the stage for a potential repeat of the earlier confirmation dispute, with Senator Paul's past opposition looming large. In a social media post announcing the nomination, Trump called Meredith 'highly experienced and well qualified.' 'Chad is a courageous Patriot who knows what is required to uphold the Rule of Law, and protect our Constitution,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night. McConnell said in a statement Wednesday that Trump made an 'outstanding choice' in choosing Meredith, who also served as chief deputy general counsel for former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin. 'His demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution will serve the people of Kentucky well on the federal bench,' McConnell said. 'I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination.' Paul's office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday night on the nomination. Three years ago, Paul accused McConnell of cutting a 'secret deal' with the White House as a reason why Meredith's nomination never moved forward under Biden. 'Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,' Paul said at the time. Paul never made any substantive objections about Meredith himself. It's unclear whether Paul would hold similar process concerns with Meredith's formal nomination under Trump. But Paul had effective veto power over a judicial pick in his home state because the Senate continues to honor the so-called blue slip rule, a decades-old custom that says a judicial nominee won't move forward if there is opposition from his or her home-state senator. The Biden White House also deferred to that custom, which is why Biden never ended up nominating Meredith. Though the rule has been eroded in part, namely for appellate court judges whose seat spans several states, the custom has remained intact for district court nominees who are more closely tied to their home states. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has so far made no indication that he would deviate from that longstanding custom. Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an adviser at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, criticized Trump's selection of Meredith given his 'disturbing anti-abortion record." 'The nomination of Chad Meredith to a lifetime judgeship should trouble everyone,' Zwarensteyn said.
